Racing fans will be treated to a smorgasbord of elite thoroughbred racing on Seven this Saturday as Epsom Day at Randwick and Turnbull Stakes Day at Flemington kick-start the biggest month of the Spring Racing Carnival.
Saturday’s LIVE and FREE action will be headlined by a whopping four Group 1 races and things will only heat up over the next month as Seven brings fans the most coveted meetings on the Australian racing calendar.
Throughout October, the biggest names in racing will do battle for racing’s most glittering prizes, including the Caulfield Guineas, the world’s richest race on turf – The Everest, the Caulfield Cup, the 100th edition of the Cox Plate – on a historic day of sport that will also include the first ever night AFL Grand Final – and, in a fitting finale, the Grand Final for four-years-olds, the Golden Eagle.
This Saturday, Seven welcomes highly regarded sports presenter Gerard Middleton to racing’s best commentary team, which will again be led by Australia’s pre-eminent broadcaster Bruce McAvaney.
George Main Stakes runner-up Star of the Seas leads Chris Waller’s hopes in the Epsom Handicap (1600m), but the master trainer has six other runners in the $1 million feature – one of the great mile events on the Australian calendar – including Funstar, Imaging and Mister Sea Wolf.
However, star Kiwi mare Probabeel and Team Hawkes stablemates Rock and Wild Planet – both last start winners, in the Cameron Handicap and Theo Mark Stakes respectively – have the class and form to spoil Waller’s party.
In the Turnbull Stakes (2000m), Verry Elleegant will look to bounce back from a disappointing run in the George Main Stakes. But Waller’s star mare will need to recapture the form of her Winx Stakes win if she’s to beat a deep field that includes boom stayer Surprise Baby, West Australian star Superstorm, Caulfield Cup fancy Master of Wine and her own stablemate Finche.
Katelyn Mallyon will join Middleton on course at Randwick on Saturday, while prominent Victorian trainer Henry Dwyer will have all the action covered at Flemington. Once again bringing fans all the news and interviews will be racing’s best trackside reporters, Jason Richardson at Flemington and Sky Racing’s Lizzie Jelfs at Randwick, while Kate Waterhouse will also be at Randwick to keep viewers across all the latest fashions and styles around the course.
In Saturday’s other Group 1 action at Randwick, the leading stayers will be on show in The Metropolitan (2400m), while the three-year-old fillies get their chance to shine in the Flight Stakes (1600m).
The Victorian three-year-old fillies will step into the spotlight too in the Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m), while the meeting’s other highlights include the Group 2 Gilgai Stakes (1200m) and Blazer Stakes (1400m).
AND fans can also look forward to the following marquee meetings on Seven this month:
- October 10 – Caulfield: Caulfield Guineas Day; Randwick: Spring Champion Stakes Day
- October 17 – Randwick: Everest Day; Caulfield: Caulfield Cup Day
- October 24 – Moonee Valley: Cox Plate Day; Randwick: Bondi Stakes Day
- October 31 – Rosehill Gardens: Golden Eagle Day
